The right frame of mind

Recently I was helping a client organize some of her artwork. We stacked pieces of all different sizes “rack on rack” basically with the frames touching rather than the actual piece of art.  For one piece, though, with a particularly chunky and distinctive frame, we made sure that the frame itself was as protected as the art. The frame for that piece made all the difference.

That’s what was on my mind as I was cleaning out water bottles—water bottles that had been sitting in the sink since a certain family member placed them there after a bike ride. We’ve had family conversations about trying to clean up after yourself and generally everyone is quite good at it. Sometimes, though, certain things pile up in the sink—cycling water bottles being one of them. For whatever reason, they are something I just don’t like cleaning. They are too narrow and are kind of sharp on the edges, they tip over like dominoes and there are too many of them! I could have just left them there, but I needed room in the sink as I made dinner. So I started cleaning them, sighing loudly, until I remembered that chunky frame. Instead of thinking about cleaning bottles as a “hated chore,” I reframed it as a “loving kindness to make my cyclist’s day a little easier.” 

What tasks make you sigh out loud? How can you think about them in a new way? Doing laundry can be a special time to listen to a podcast or call an old friend. Cleaning the dinner dishes can be a kindness to your future self, since you won’t wake up to a mess in the kitchen. Putting away toys can be a chance to reflect on the generosity of people in your children’s lives. 

Reframing tasks, like reframing art, can sometimes make all the difference.